Method of and apparatus for reeling strip material



June 6, 1939. I M. MOVRGAN 2,161,076

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR REELING STRIP MATERIAL Filed April 29, 1936 9 Sheets-Sheet l jawrzzor': a

June 6, 1939. 2,161,076

'METHODOF AND APPARATUS FOR REELING STRIP MATERIAL MIMO'RGAN Filed April 29, 1936 9 Shets-Sheet 2 June 6, 1939. 'M, M RG $161,076

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR REELING STRIP MATERIAL Filed April 29, 1936 9 Sheets-Sheet s M. MORGAN 2,161,076

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR REELING STRIP MATERIAL June 6, 1939.

Filed April 29, 1936 9 Sheets-Sheet 5 an mz Mics or .By I

June 6, 1939. M, MQ RGAN 2,161,076

1 METHOD OF KND APPARATUS FOR REELING STRIP MATERIAL Filed April 29, 1956 9 Sheets-Sheet; s

3 Q .59 I I J J6 Q o 1 I 26 as o M. MORGAN June 6, 1939.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR REELING STRIP MATERIAL a-r ey M. MORGAN 2,161,076 I METHOD OF AND APPARA TUS FOR RPELING STRIP MATERIAL June 6,

F:l. 1ed A ril 29, 19:56

' 9 Sheets- Sheet 8 893 so l,

June 6, 1939. M, M)QRGAN 2,161,076

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR REELING STRIP MATERIAL Filed April 29, 1936 I 9 Sheets-Shet 9 Patented June 6, 1939 UNi'lED STATES METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR REELING STRIP MATERIAL Myles Morgan, Worcester, Mass.,

Morgan Construction Company,

assignor to Worcester,

Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application April 29, 1936, Serial No. 77,003

32 Claims.

The present invention relates to the reeling of strip material, particularly relatively thin metalstrip as delivered at high speed from theof fully automatic character, that'enables the I reeling operation on each elongated piece of stock to start and to be carried through to com-' pietion with practically no need for intervention by an operator, and without any interrup tion or curtailment of the high speed. delivery of such stock from the mill.

According to the invention, the reeling apparatus includes an expansibie and contractible rotary core, and a surrounding set of guide devices which are brought into play only for the purpose of causing the first end of a piece of stock to make a few wraps around the rotating collapsed core; thereupon, with the expansion of said rotating core to produce a clutching engagement internally with said few initial wraps, the aforesaid wrap-producing devices shift to an inoperative position, wholly removed from any' contact with the stock that is being reeled; such stock in consequence is reeled up, layer upon layer, on the rotating core, (functioning in effect as a traction reel) in the entire absence of any contact of the stock surfaces with guides or other elements tending to scratch or mar said surfaces,-- which scratching ormarring, from the presence of stock-contacting guides or like elements, has heretofore been unavoidable in automatic reeling operations.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following detailed description thereof, taken in connec-' tion with the accompanying; drawings, in which-- Fig. 1 is a view in end elevation of apparatus in accordance with my invention, as viewed from the left hand side in Figs. 2 and 3.

Figs. 2 and Sam fragmentary views in side elevation, partly diagrammatic and sectional, showing the core and the wrap-producing devices in different p'ositions,the plane of the section being indicated generally by the line 22, Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view at right angles to Figs. 2 and 3, the plane-of the section being indicated generally by the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view, similar to Fig. 4, showing the parts in-a different posi- Fig. 1.

Fig. '7 is a sectional view on the line 1-1 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a side elevational view, on a somewhat smaller scale-than Figs. 2 and 3, showing my invention in its preferred environment.

Figs. 9,10 and 11- are diagrammatic views, illustrating successive positions assumed by the control mechanism of the apparatus in different stages of the reeling operation- Fig. 12 is a diagrammatic view, illustrating the removal or stripping of the reeled material from the core, at the completion of the reeling "operation.

Fig. 13 is a wiring diagram.

Fig. 14 is a schematic view, illustrating the angular extent of the several contact-bridging members provided by a rotary switching mechanism shown in the lower part of Fig. 13.

Like reference characters refer. to like parts in the different figures.

As shown in Fig. 1, the reeling apparatus proper may be mounted on a suitable base I, the latter. at one side providing spaced uprights 2, 2 which serve as a supporting frame for the movable wrap-producing devices, best shown'in Figs. 2, 3 and 8, which surround the rotary expansible core, designated as a whole by the nu-' meral 3. Other upright frame members l 4 provide suitable bearings 5, 5 for the hollow shaft 6, Figs. 4 and 5, which carries the expansiblecore structure, the latter consisting of a plurality of curved shoes I, I (here shown as four in number) arranged about the shaft 6 to present conjointly an approximately cylindrical outer surface. For the support of each shoe 1, the shaft 6 carries a pair of bell cranks 8, 8,.the latter pivoted at 9, 9 on lugs l0, l0 .formed exteriorly on said shaft 6 adjacent to openings II, II, through each of which loosely extends one arm of each bell crank 8. The other arm of each bell crank 8 is pivotaily attached to 9. lug [2 provided interiorly by the associated shoe I, and thus each shoe by its pair of bell cranks is supported and carried by the shaft 6 in parallel spaced relation thereto. The several bell crank arms that project through the openings II, II of shaft 6 engage at their ends in grooves l3 and I4, respectively, of a rod l5 which occupies the interior of the hollow shaft 6, and which is axially siidable within said shaft for the purpose of rocking the several bell cranks '8, 8 in unison, either to expand or to contract the cylindrical structure constituted by the several shoes I, 1. That is to say, when the .rod 15 occupies the position shown in Fig. 4, having been moved to the left, the shoes 7, i are drawn in toward the shaft Sby'the bell cranks 8, 8,-this being the contracted core condition illustrated in Fig. 2, made possible by the bevelling at. la of each shoe along one of its longitudinal edges to permit of overlapping the same by the adjacent shoe; When the rod I5 is shifted to the right into the position shown by Fig. 5, the consequent roofing of the several-bell cranks 8, 8 throws the shoes I outwardly to expand the core 3 into the condition shown by Fig. 3.

According to my invention, the rotating core 3, after receiving in its contracted condition (Fig. 2) a few wraps of the strip material, is expanded as described above, and by such expansion establishes so firm a grip between itself and the initial wraps that its ensuing operation is substantially that of a traction reel. I will now describe the means herein shown for directing the advancing front end of the piece of strip stock as delivered by the mill (not shown) around the rotating contracted core 3, and for producing such initial few wraps or turns, preparatory to the cores expansion.

The strip material on its way from the rolling mill to the reeling apparatus is directed between a pair of pinch rolls I6, ,I l, which, as shown in Fig. 1, may be journalled in frame members l8, l8 carried by a horizontal frame portion l9; or, as shown-in Fig. 8, said pinch rolls l8, ll may be journalled in the main frame members 2'. In

either case, said pinch rolls are driven, as hereinafter described, in such a way as to avoid any slippage between the same and the stock, while the latter is being collected on core 3 by the traction reel operation of said core. Beyond the pinch rolls G8, I! are arranged upper and lower guide plates, marked 28 and 2! respectively in Figs. 2 and 3, and marked 28' and M respectively in Fig. 8,-the lower plate in each instance being stationary, and the upper plate, in its operative position shown in Figs. 2 and 8, cooperating with thelower plate to confine the stock, in its passage from the pinch rolls to the reeling devices proper, to a path substantially tangential to the contracted periphery of core 3. The stock is relieved of confinement by or contact with said guide plates as soon as a small number of wraps of said stock around the contracted rotating core 3 have been established; to this end, the upper plate '28 or 28* is made movable to the inoperative position shown in Fig. 3, said plate being here shown as pivoted on an axis provided by the shaft of pinch roll I6, and its movement being effected by a link connection 22 to a bell crank 23 which is turnable on a pivot 24 provided by the frame members. Said bell crank 23 is operatively associated, as-shown in Figs, 2, 3 and 8, with a plurality of similarly pivoted members 25,28 and 21 that obtain, by their actuation in unison, the movements of the wrap-producing instrumentalitles into and out of operative position. Such wrapproducing instrumentalities, efiective around the periphery of the contracted core 3, take the form of a succession or series of arms 28, 28 arranged in pairs, (there being four of such pairs shown herein), with each pair of arms secured to a rock shaft 29 that is suitably journalled at its ends in the spaced frame members 2, 2. Extending between each pair of arms 28, 28 and journalled suitably therein is a roller 38; in addition to the succession of the four rollers 38, 38provided by the pairs of arms 28, 28, the apparatus also in-' cludes a final roller 38a extending between and journalled in a pair of elongated bent arms 28a, 28a, which are secured to a rock shaft 3|.

In the operative position of the wrap-producing instrumentalities shown by Figs. 2 and 8, the several arms 28, 28 and 28a have been 'moved simultaneously inward to engage all the rollers 38, 38 and 38a with a rotating wheel 32 (see Fig. 4), which is formed on or secured to the hollow shaft 8 immediately adjacent the expansible core structure 3. Said wheel 32 has a diameter slightly in excess of the contracted core diameter, thereby to maintain the rollers 38, 38 and 38a, which derive rotation frictionally from said wheel 32, in positions slightly spaced from said contracted core. Each pair of arms 28, 28, beyond its roller 38, is spanned by a curved guide plate 33, the concave surface of which, in the position of the parts shown by Figs. 2 and 8, substantially bridges the gap in each case between adjacent rollers 38, 38 and 38a, said plates 33 having substantially the same-spacing from the contracted periphery of the core 3 as said rollers, due to the latters engagement with the wheel 32. Thus, as shown in Figs. 2 and 8, around the contracted periphery of core 3 is established, by means of the rollers 38, 38 and 38a and the plates 33 alternating with said rollers, a substantially continuous surrounding surface, between which and the core periphery is left a slight annular space for the reception and guidance of the advancing front end of each piece of stock that is projected by the pinch rolls 56, ll through the tangential extension of said space which is provided by the guide plates 20, 2! or 28', 2!. In this connection, it is to be noted that the free ends of the final pair of arms 28a, 28a, beyond the roller 38a, are formed to provide a guide surface 34, constituting in effect an extension of the lower stationary guide plate 2| or 2!, thus completing such tangential guide passage and insuring the stock's entry to such annular space.

The inner wall of said space is the periphery of the rotating contracted core structure 3, said periphery preferably having a surface speed slightly exceeding the speed of the entering stock, and the outer wall of said space being constituted in part by the rollers 38, 38 and 38a. which, from their frictional contact with the wheel 32, derive surface speeds substantially the same as the stock speed. Thus, notwithstanding such stock's guidance through and close confinement in said annular space, the tendency for its surface to be scratched by contact with the stationary guide elements, is reduced to a minimum; furthermore, and of the greatest importance, even this minimized scratching tendency is wholly eliminated almost as soon as the reeling operation has been started, because the narrow annular space aforesaid is maintained only long enough to allow afew initial wraps of the stock to be made around the rotating contracted core 3; thereupon, with the expansion of said core, (by shifting of rod l5 as hereinafter described), to seize or clutch internally the encircling stock, the entire stockconfining structure that constitutes the outer wall of said annular space and also the tangential admission passage thereto is immediately shifted to a position (see Fig. 3) wholly removed from any possibility of contact with the stock being reeled, so that for the duration practically of the entire reeling operation no contact with the stock of guiding or like elements tending to scratch or mar the same is ever permitted. The movement of the stock-confining parts from the operative position of Fig. 2 to the inoperative position of Fig. 3 is effected as follows:-

shown, to a piston 38 adapted to operate within a hydraulic cylinder '39. The motions of bell crank 26, under the influence of piston 38, are communicated to the several rock shafts 24,- 29, 29 and 3|, for shifting the parts from the Fig. 2 position to the Fig. 3 position and vice versa, by a system of'connecting links and arms; that is to say, a link 40 connects the bell crank 26 with the bell crank 25, the latter being journalled on the shaft 29 of the second pair of arms 28, 28, and a link 4| connects the bell crank 25 with the bell crank 23, the latter having its other arm connected by link 22 to the guide plate 20; said link 4| at an intermediate point has a pivotal connection with an arm 42 journalled on the shaft 29 of the first pair of arms 28, 28. Also, a link 43 con' nects the bell crank 26 with an' arm 44 journalled on the shaft 29 of the fourth stock-confining pair of arms 28, 28, and from this arm 44 there is a link connection 45 with an arm 46 that is journalled on the shaft 41, to which is secured the bell crank 21 that operates, through link 48, the pair of arms 28a, 28a, which carry the final roller 30a. i

The several linked-together and jointly-movable elements 42, 25, 26, 44 and 46 above described, which are pivoted, respectively, on shafts I Figs. 2 and 8 to those shown in Fig. 3, the several shafts 29, 29 and 41 are correspondingly rockedthrough the engagement with their arms 49, 49 of nuts 52 on theends of the rods or pins 58,--thus procuring, as shown in Fig. 3, the opening or dilation in substantially iris fashion, of the wrapproducing instrumentalities. On the reverse or closing movement, obtained when the actuating elements 42, 25, 26, 44 and 46 are shifted clockwise, the forces for rocking the shafts 29, 29 and 41 are transmitted through the springs 5| and thus the arrival of the rollers 38, 30 and 30a in contact with the rotating wheel 32 may occur before the end of the down stroke of piston 38; additional movement of said pistonserves simply to compress said springs, each of the latter thus providing for its associated roller an independent source of pressure for the friction drive of said roller by the wheel 32.

Rotation is constantly imparted to the core 3 by an electric motor 53, Fig. 1, said motor being preferably of, the well known adjustable speed type, and provided with some one of several well known arrangements of accessory controiarranged t maintain any desired constant tension in the stock being reeled; that is to say, the control providesa gradually increasing torque as the speed decreases, thus maintaining a substantially constant tension in the stock in spite of the gradual for the purpose above described, has secured to its increase in the diameter of the stock bundle as it accumulates during the reeling operation. The shaft of said motor 53 carries a pinion 54, Fig. 6, which meshes with a gear 55 on a countershaft 56, the latter being suitably journalled inspaced uprights 51, 51 rising from a pedestal 58 of the base I, which supports said motor. A gear 59, formed on or carried by the hollow shaft- 6 and meshing with the gear 55, obtains the drive of the core 3 by the motor 53; also in mesh with said gear 55 is a gear 69 carried by another countershaft 6| also journalled in the uprights 51, 51 and through which,in the manner now to be described. is obtained the drive of the pinch rolls |6, H from said motor 53.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 6, the shafts of the pinch rolls l6 and I1 carry intermeshing gears 62 and 63, respectively,one of'said shafts pro-' viding an extension 64, Fig. 1, which alines substantially with the countershaft 6| that, through the gearing above described, rotates constantly in synchronism with the core 3. This rotation of countershaft 6| is transmitted to the alined shaft extension 64, for the constant drive of the pinch rolls l6, H by a clutching mechanism of the socalled free-wheeling type, Fig. 7, that transmits the rotation of countershaft 6| to the alined shaft extension 64, and also permits the latter to overrun, in response to stock travel at a higher speed, I

due, for example, to the progressively increasing diameter of the material accumulating on said core as the reeling proceeds; in this way, any slippage between the stock and the pinch rolls, such as might cause marring or scratching of said stock, is wholly avoided.

Referring now to Fig. '7, the countershaft 6|,

end an annular driving member 65, the hub 66 of which is appropriately recessed, as shown at 61, for the reception of rollers 68, 68 which are'confined in said recesses by an encircling flange 69 of a driven member 10 secured to the end of shaft extension 64 the same speed of rotation as that of countershaft 6 I, thus to give the pinch rolls |6, |1 a positive drive that is in step with the drive of the contracted circumference of core 3, Nevertheless, the pinch rolls l6, I1, by this arrangement, are left free to partake of rotation at a speed commensurate with that of the stock,-as when the above described drive of said pinch rolls may drop behind the actual running speed thereof as imparted by said stock.

Any suitable means may be employed, inconjunction with the pinch rolls, for imposing on the stock, particularly after its last end has run out from the mill, a braking action or drag, to hold the stock taut during the final stages of the reeling operation. See in this connection Fig. 8, which depicts the preferred environment and arrangement of the reeling apparatus proper which is shown more or less diagrammatically in Figs. 2 and 3. Fig. 8 shows a mill runout in the form of a roller table 12', arranged to deliver the stock to one or the other of a plurality of the reeling instrumentalities of my invention,only one of the same being shown. Incorporated in this roller table 12 is a movable switch 13 which, in its full line position, deflects the stock to the illustrated reeling apparatus; when said switch 13 occupies its broken line position, the. stock continues over the roller table 82 to the next reeling apparatus, not shown, As shown in Fig. 8, preceding the pinch rolls i6 and i I, there may be provided any suitable braking device, here shown as a plurality of upper rollers 15, in combination with staggered lower rollers 16, the latter having eccentric mountings 16a, by means of which to raise and lower the same. During most of each reeling operation, while the stock is under the influence of the finishing rolls of the mill, the rolls I5 and 15 are kept separated, so that they impose no restraint on the stock in its passage between the same. But when the last end of a piece of stock emerges from the mill, the eccentric supports 76a of the lower rolls 16 are shifted, so as to elevate said lower rolls somewhat above the normal stock path, this action forcing the stock to travel a zigzag path in its passage between the rollers 79 and 75, with the result that a suitable drag is imposed thereon during the final stages of the reeling operation when the last end of a piece of stock would otherwise be free.

Referring now to Figs. 1, 4 and 5, the rod H5, at the end thereof which projects bey1nd the hollow shaft 9, carries a sleeve or collar 'lLthe latter having a pivotal connection at I8 with a lever 79, fulcrumed at 99 to a bracket projecting from frame member 9. The other end of lever 19 has a pivotal connection 9| wth a slidable rod 82, which derives its motion'from a piston 83 that operates with a hydraulic cylinder 36,- the opposite movements of said piston, produced by the admission of fluid under pressure to one end or the other of said cylinder, procuring the contraction and expansion of core 3. Figs. 4

and 5 show also in proximity to core 3 a pusher head 95, which is adapted, at the completion of a reeling operation, to be 'moved against the end of the reeled-up accumulation of stock on core 3 (the latter then being contracted) to sweep said bundle ofi the core; said pusher head 85 is carried by a rod 86 which exends from a piston 91 adapted to work in a hydraul'c cylinder 88,-the opposite movements of said piston, produced by the admission of fluid under pressure to one end or the other of said cylinder, procuring the pushing and retractile movements of the head 85.

The three hydraulic cylinder and pison units 39, 39 for the wrap-producing devices, 83, 84 for the core, and 81, 88 for the pusher, are shown in the diagrams of Figs. 9, 10 and 11 in association with suitable valve devices 89, 99 and 9|, respectively, that govern the admission and discharge of the pressure fluid to andfrom the cylinders 39, 84 and 88. These three valve devices,

shown diagrammatically in Figs. 9, 10 and 11,

are arranged to be operated in the proper sequence by cams 89a, 99a .and 9m, respectively,

carried by a shaft 92'whose actuation is obtained I through gearing 93 from a suitable electric motor 84; said shaft 92 also carries the rotatingcludes an automatic switch 91 of conventional type that is normally held open by a spring or the like, but which is shifted to closed position for completing the motor circuit 96 by the flow of electric current through a coil 98, the latter being included in certain holding circuits, now to be described, that, through limit switching mechanism 95, are established with the manual closing of the main switch 99 of the apparatus,

and are maintained by the stock's engagement with a trigger it (see Figs. 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 11 and which closes a pair of switches Hi9 and M0. That is to say, when the switch 99 is thrown by the operator into closed position, thereby making available the current of the supply line (shown by the and feed bars at the extreme left in Fig. 13), the first thing that occurs is a flow of current through coil 98 by way of a pair of contacts marked Illi which, in the stopped position of limit switch mechanism 95, are bridged by a member will carried by the thenstationary shaft 92 of said limit switch mechanism; the latter also provides, in d fferent angular and radial relations, the pairs of contacts marked 893, I M and H35, and the rotatable bridging members for said pairs marked respectively 193a, 104a and 3512, the latter being carried by the shaft 92 and becoming successively operative in the ensuing single revolution of said shaft, as will hereinafter appear. Fig. 13, being diagrammatic in character, does not adequately illustrate the angular extent and the relative angular positions of the several contact-bridging members lilia, 193a, 806a and l95a; such showing is supplied apprcximately, for purposes of illustration, by Fig. 14 wherein the four heavyline arcs are numbered correspondingly, using,

however, the subscript b instead of the sub-- script a.

The flow of current through the circuit that includes the coil 99 and the bridged pair of contacts Nil, ifll energizes said coil 31nd thereby closes the switch 91, whereupon current flows through circuit 96 to start and drive the motor 53. At this time, the parts are in the positions shown diagrammatically by Fig. 9, the core 3 being contracted, the wrap-producing devices being in their operative positions close to the core, and the pusher head 85 being retracted,- all of these conditions having been established by the stoppage of shaft 92 in such an angular position that the cams 89a, 99a and 9la'thereon have disposed their associate valve devices 89, 99 and 9|, respectively, in the positions shown by Fig. 9, thus to maintain the piston" at the bottom of its stroke, and to maintain the pistons 83 and 81 at the limits of their'left hand movements. Though the contracted core 3 and the pinch rolls i6, H are in rotation (from the closing, as above described, of switches 99 and 91), thereis as yet no movement of any of the other parts from the position shown-in Fig. 9, since the motor 94 has not yet been started up from its rest position where, as previously stated, the member I Illa is disposed in bridging relation to the pair of contacts I!" of the limit switch mechanism. It should be noted that motor 53, when up to speed, drives the core 3 at a surface speed exceeding the delivery speed imparted tov the material by the mill.

The first end of a piece of material emerging from the mill, on its way to the rotating core and pinch rolls, engages the trigger 14, the effect of such engagement being to close the switches I00 and I09 and to hold the same closed during the passage of the entire length of said piece. The closing of the switch I completes a circuit that includes (see Fig. 13) a coil I 06 that is associated with an automatic switch I01. This energization of coil I06 closes the switch I 01, and the latter thereby short circuits and replaces the limit switch contacts IOI in the circuit for the coil 99, this being required by the fact that the' starting of motor 94 (through closure of switch I00) causes the commencement of a revolution by shaft 91.; therefore the member 'IOIa on shaft 92, starting from the position shown in -Fig. 13, will very shortly pass beyond the pair of contacts IOI,the duration of contact in this instance corresponding to a portion only of the short are IOIb (Fig. 14), representing the initial stage of this single revolution of shaft 92. The closing of the switch I00 completes a circuit that includes. the motor 94 and the pair of spaced contacts I03 which are bridged by member I03a. The motor 94, having been started by the closing of the switch I00, continues to run for the duration of the somewhat longer arc of contact I03b (Fig. 14) that supersedes the arc IOIb, soon after the start of the single revolution of, shaft 92. The advancing first end of the stock having closed the electric switch I00. and started the motor 94, is received between the pinch rolls I6, I1 and is directed into the narrow annular space (Figs. 2 and 8) between the rotating contracted core 3 and the surrounding then-undilated wrap-producing structure that includes the rotating rolls 30, 30. As soon as a small number of wraps of stock around the contracted core 3 have been made, the shaft 92 reaches that point in its rotation (near the end of arc I03b) where its cams 90a and 89a act either simultaneously or in close succession to shift the valve devices 90 and 89, respectively, procuring thereby, as shown in Fig. 0, the admission of pressure fluid to the left hand end of cylinder 84 and to the bottom of cylinder 39, whereby to move the pistons 83 and 38, respectively. These piston movements procure the expansion of core 3 into gripping engagement with the initial encircling wraps of stock thereon,

-is reeled up, wrap upon wrap, by the continued rotation of the expanded core 3, the latter thus operating, for practically the entire duration of the reeling operation, as a traction reel.

Referring again to Figs. 13 and 14, shortly after the cams 90a and 89a have operated as above described to establish the reeling conditions shown in Fig. 10, the shaft 92 is brought to rest by the temporary stoppage of motor 94,- this occurring with the shafts completion of the arc of movement I03b that terminates the-engagement of member I03a with the contacts I03, thus breaking the circuit of motor 94. The motor 53 continues to drive the expanded core 3 for the traction reeling of the stock emerging from the mill until finally the last end of the stock is drawn past the trigger 14. This allows the electric switches I00 and I00 to open, thereby breaking the circuit that includes the coil I06;

3 comes to rest in the condition illustrated by Fig. 11, the entire length of the piece of stock vious stoppage of motor 94, at the end of the arc ofcontact I03b has left the shaft 92 in an angular position where a pair of contacts I04 are bridged by a member I04a on said shaft, these contacts I04 being in a circuit that includes a coil I08 and a normally open push button switch I09. The coil I08 is so arranged that, when energized, it will procure the closing of a switch IIO, the latter contained in a circuit that includes the motor 94. When the operator desires to procure stripping of the completed reeled-up bundle of stock from the core 3, he presses closed the push button switch I09, thereby energizing the coil I08, which in turn closes the switch H0 and this restarts the motor 94 and shaft 92. The operators release of push button switch I09 is without effect on the restarted motor 94, since the energization of coil I08 for the closure of switch H0 also automatipressure fluid into the right hand end of cylinder 94, so as to shift piston 83 to the left, causing the expanded core 3 to collapse within the bun dle carried thereon, thus releasing the-grip of said core on said bundle. The next ensuing result of the restarting of motor 94 and shaft 92 is the movement by cam Me of the valve 9|, this I causing the pressure fluid to be admitted to the left hand end of cylinder 88, to drive the piston 81 to the right, so that the pusher head 95 is" thrust against the end of the released bundle on core 3. Such piston movement sweeps the head 85 across the core, pushing the bundle ahead of it onto any suitable receiving device, such as the hook III, Fig.12.

The rod 86 of the pusher head or stripper 85 has an extension H2 which, in the normal retracted position of said stripper, holds closed a switch I I3, the latter being in a circuit which includes a coil H4 and also includes a pair of spaced contacts I05 of the limit switch mechanism 95, said contacts I05 adapted to be bridged by a member. I05a on the shaft 92. The coil II4 when energized effects closure of a switch II5 that is in the circuit of motor 94; since the switch H3 remains closed in the retracted position of stripper 85, said coil H4 is energized when the engagement of member I04a with contacts I04,

I04 is superseded by the engagement of member 85; this stripper movement allows the normally the deenergizati'on of coil I09 opensthe switch I01 and this in turn breaks the circuit that includes the coil 98, whereupon switch 91 opens to stop the motor 53.

When the motor 53 stops, the expanded core closed switch II3 to open, which deenergizes the coil H4 and thereby opens the normally closed switch I I5 in the circuit of motor 94, so that said motor may again temporarily come to a stop during the operation of stripper 85. But autoend of the stripping operation is assured because before the engagement of member Nita with contacts H04, H16 is broken, the cam am, after shifting valve 9i into the position shown by Fig. 11, for the worlfing stroke of stripper 85, will move far enough to return said valve 9! to its normal position (Fig. 9) the resultant admission of pressure fluid to the right hand end of cylinder 88 drives the piston 81 to the left and causes, ultimately, the reclosing of switch M3 by extension 2. As a result, the motor 95, if it has in the meantime again come temporarily to nest at the commencement of the arc of contact i051, is started up again because this closure of-switch 6 i3 energizes the coil iii and thereby closes switch H5 in the circuit of said motor.

'I'his'third stage of operation of motor 95 is terminated by the completion of a full revolution by shaft 92,the motor 96 coming torest at the. end ofthe arc of contact 60517, which breaks the circuit through coil H6 and thereby opens at switch H5 the circuit of motor 94.

This return of shaft 92 to the same angular po- I mentalities. It will be recalled that a movement of piston 83, earlier in the'cycle, has already effected the contraction of core 3. Also, just before the shaft 92 comes to rest, the pairs of contacts QM are bridged by themember lMa; in consequence, the coil 98 becomes energized to close switch 91, thereby restarting the main or reel-driving motor 53 and the pinch rolls l6, i'i,

since the main switch 99 has beenleft closed.

Thus the entire apparatus is automatically restored to a condition of readiness for the reception ofthe next piece of stock emerging from the mill,thecontact of the first end of said next piece with trigger It procuring a repetition of the above-described automatic reeling operation.

I claim: a g

1. In the art of reeling strip or like metal stock, the improvement'which consists in subjecting the advancing front end of each piece to the action of guiding and confining devices, arranged toproduce a few turns or wraps of the stock around a rotating drum or core, causing the expansion of said drum or coreinto clutching engagement, internally, with said initial wraps or turns; and, causing withdrawal from said initial turns or wraps of said guiding and confining devices, whereby the reeling thereafter of said piece is performed by said drum or core alone, functioning in effect as a traction reel. 7 V 2. In the art of reelingstrip or like. metal stock, the improvement which consists in causing each piece emerging from the mill,- by' engagement of its advancing front end with guiding and confining instrumentalities, to make a few turns or wraps around. a rotating drum or core, then causing said drum or core to clutch internally with said. initial wraps or turns, and thereupon relieving the piece of the influence of said guiding and. confining instrumentalities, to

. turris matic resumption of said motors running at the a permit the reeling thereafter of said piece to be performed by said drum or core alone, functioning in effect as a "traction reel.

3. In the art of reeling strip or like metal stock, the improvement which consists in engaging the advancing front end of each piece with guiding and confining devices, so as to form a few turns or wraps of same 'around a rotating drum or core, then expanding said drum or core to clutch internally with said initial'wraps or and simultaneously causing removal of said guiding and confining devices, whereby the reeling thereafter of said piece is performed by said drum or core alone, functioning in effect as a "traction reel, and finally contracting said drum or core, to permit removal of the reeledup piece therefrom.

4. In the operation of an automatic reel for strip or like material, theimprovement which consists in so confining and directing the advancing first end of the moving material as to form a few wraps of same around a rotating core, and then expanding said rotating core into internal gripping engagement with said initial wraps, whereby for the subsequent reeling-up ,of each piece of material said core functions as a traction'" reel.

' 5. In the reeling of strip or like material as it emerges at high. speed from a rolling mill, the improvement which'consists in projecting the advancing first end of the material into the annular space between a rotating drum and a surrounding wrap-producing structure, expanding said drum, after the collection in said space of a few initial wraps of the material, into gripping engagement therewith, and thereupon shifting said wrap-producing structure into inoperative position, whereby the subsequent reeling-up of the material is obtained in the absence of any contact with guiding or confining elements.

6. The herein described method of reeling strip or like metal stock, which consists in collecting the advancing first end of the stock in a few coils or wraps between confining means disposed both internally and externally of such coil, and then causing the internal means to clutch with the inner surface of the coil, at the same time withdrawing from contact with the stock the external means.

7. An automatic. reel for strip or like metal stock, comprising internal and external element's, means for contracting and expanding the internal element, said two elements when the internal element is contracted defining an annular space into which is. projected the advancing first end initial wraps or turns for operation thereafter as a traction reel, on the remainder of the length of saidpiece of stock. i

8. In automatic" reeling apparatus of the class -described, a rotatinginner member, means for procuring its expansionand contraction, means surrounding said inner member and cooperating with same when contracted to guide thereon a few wraps or turns of the advancing first end of the material to be reeled, and means operative upon said inner members expansion into clutching engagement internally with said initial wraps or turns for shifting said surrounding means to a position out of contact with said material,

thereby to obtain subsequent reeling-up of said material by said inner member alone, functioning in eflect as a traction" reel.

9; In automatic reeling apparatus of the class described, a rotating inner member, means surrounding said inner member and cooperating therewith to form thereon a few wraps or turns of the advancing first end of the material to be reeled, means for expanding said inner member into clutching engagement internally with said initial wraps or turns, and for procuring substantially simultaneously with such expansion the movement of said surrounding means to a position out of contact with said material.

10. In automatic reeling apparatus of the class described, a rotating inner member, means surrounding said inner member and cooperating therewith to form thereon a few wraps 'or turns of the advancing first end of the material to be reeled, means for expanding said inner member into clutch engagement internally with said initial wraps or turns, and for procuring substantially ranged around said core, means responsive to therotation of said core for driving said rolls at approximately the surface speedof the material being' reeled, and means operating in timed relation to the expansion of said core for rendering said rolls inoperative as guiding and confining means for the material being reeled.

12. In an--automatic reel, a positively driven expansible core, a plurality of guide rolls arranged around said core, a ring coaxial with the core and engaging said rolls for procuring the rotation of said rolls at surface speeds approximately the same as the surface speed of the core and means operable after the expansion of said core into internal clutching engagement with the material being reeled for shifting said rolls into inoperative position relative to said'material.

13. In an automatic" reel, a positively driven expansible core, a plurality of guide rolls arranged around said core, means for supporting said rolls-a predetermined distance away from the periphery of the core when said rolls are in operative position to provide a space between said icore and the rolls to receive the front end of the a material be ng reeled, means for expanding said core into internal clutching engagement with such front end of the material,a nd means, for thereupon disposing said rolls in inoperative position. I

14. .In a reei'for strip or like material, a rotating drum, means surrounding and cooperating with said drum for causing the advancing'front tion when the material isso clutchedv by said said surrounding means substantially simultaneously, the former thereby clutching internally with said initially-formed wraps, and the latter thereby withdrawing from contact with said moving material.

16. In reeling apparatus of the classdescribed, a rotary expansible inner member, wrap-producing devices arranged around said inner member and movable into and out of operative position, and ontrol means, responsive to wrapping of a of the material around said inner member, for procuring clutching engagement of said inner member with said initial wraps and the movement of said wrap-producing devices to inoperative position.

17. In reeling apparatus of the class described, a rotary expansible inner member, wrap-producing devices arranged around said inner member and movable into and out of operative position, means, responsive to wrapping of a predetermined length of the advancing first end of the material around said inner member, for procuring clutching engagement of said inner member with said initial wraps and the movement of said wrapproducing devices to inoperative position, and means responsive to arrival of the materials last end at the reeling'apparatus for stopping rotation of the inner member and for releasing its clutching engagement with said initial wraps.

18. In reeling apparatus of the class described, a rotary expansible inner member, wrap-producpredetermined length of the advancing first end ing devices arranged around said inner member and movable into and out of operative position, a stripper operable for the discharge of reeled-up material from said apparatus, and control means members rotation, the release of said inner members clutching engagement with said material, and the operation of said stripper.

19. In reeling apparatus of the class described, a rotary expansible inner member, wrap-producing devices arranged around said inner member and movable into and out of operative position,

a stripper operable for the discharge of reeled-up materlal'from said apparatus, control means associated with said inner member, said wrap-producing devices and said stripper for effecting, in response to initial wraps around said inner member of the material's advancing first end, the clutching of said inner member with said initial wraps and the movement of said wrap-producing devices to inoperative position, and for effecting, in response to arrival of the material's tail end at the reeling apparatus, the cessation of said inner member's rotation, the release of said inner members clutching engagement with said material, and the operation of said stripper, and means brought intoaction by return movement of said stripper forrestoring said wrap-producing devices to operative position and for restarting the rotation of said inner member.

20. In an automatic reel, a rotary inner mem ber adapted to be contracted and expanded, a surrounding wrap-producing means comprising a, plurality of rolls, means for rotating said rolls, and for spacing their surfaces a predetermined distance from the contracted periphery of said inner member to establish an annular space for the reception and confinement of a few turns r wraps made by the advancing first end of the material being reeled, and means operating in timed relation to the accumulation in said space of such few turns or wraps for expanding said inner member into internal clutching engagement therewith.

21. In an automatic reel, a rotary inner inember adapted to be contracted and expanded,

a surrounding wrap-producing means comprising a plurality of rolls, means comprising a rotary element concentric with said inner member for frictionally driving said rolls, said element having a diameter greater than that of said inner member in its contracted condition, whereby to establish an annular space between said inner contracted member and said wrap-producing means for the reception of the advancing first end of the material being reeled and means operating in timed relation to the accumulation in said space of a few turns or wraps of said material for expanding said inner member into internal clutching engagement therewith.

22. In an automatic reel, an inner member rotating at a surface speed substantially the same as the stock delivery speed, a pair of pinch rolls feeding the stock to said member and driven therefrom, means permitting the pinch rolls to overrun their drive when the stock speed increases, and braking means adapted to hold the stock taut after the tail end of a piece of sam has passed beyond the mill.

23. In an fautomatic reel, a rotary 'inner member, means for contracting and expanding said member, devices operative at the startof a reeling operation, when the inner member is contracted, to direct and confine around the latter a few wraps or turns of the moving stock, and means for procuring, in timed relation to the operation of said means to expand said inner.

member into clutching engagement with said initial wraps, the removal of said directing and confining devices from contact with the stock.

24. In an automatic reel, a. rotary inner member, means for contracting and expanding said member, a set of devices cooperating with said member at the start of a reeling operation when said member is contracted, to provide a surrounding restricted annular space to receive and guide the advancing first end of the stock, a second set of devices providing a stock passage substantially tangential to said annular space; and means for procuring, in timed relation to the operation of said means to expand said inner member into clutching engagement with the first few wraps or turns of stock confined in said annular space, the movement of both sets of said devices into positions out of contact with the stock thereafter reeled up on said inner member by the latters rotation.

25. In a reel of the class described, a rotaryinner member subject to expansion and contraction, wrap-producing means adapted to cooperate with said member in its contracted condition, and means operable in delayed response to the arrival at said reel of the advancing first end of the stock to be reeled, for clutching said rotary inner member with stock directed around same by said wrap-producing means and for thereupon shifting said wrap-producing means to a position where it is uncontacted by the piece of stock during the subsequent reeling-up of same on said rotary inner member.

26. In a reel of the class described, a rotary inner member subject to expansion and contracat said reel of the advancing first end of the stock.

to be reeled, for clutching said rotary inner member with stock directed around same by said wrapproducing means and for thereupon shifting said wrap-producing means to a position where it is uncontacted by the piece of stock during the subsequent reeling-up of same on said rotary inner member, and means operable in response to arrival at said reel of the last end of said piece of stock for stopping the rotation of said inner member..

27. In a reel of the class described, a rotary inner member subject to expansion and contraction, wrap-producing means adapted to cooperate with said member in its contracted condition, means operable indelayed response to the arrival at said reel of the advancing first end of the stock to be reeled, for clutching said rotary inner member with stock directed around same by said wrap-producing means and for thereupon shifting said wrap-producing means to a position .where-it is uncontacted by the piece of stock during the subsequent reeling-up of same on said rotary inner member, means operable in response to arrival at said reel of the last end of said piece of stock for stopping the rotation of said inner member and for procuring its contraction, to release the bundle of reeled-up stock thereon, a stripper operable to discharge said bundle from said inner member, and means responsive to operation of said stripper for re-starting rotation of said inner member and for returning said wrapproducing means to stock-contacting position.

28. The method of reeling strip or like metal stock, which consists in so confining and guiding the advancing front end of each piece as to accumulate a few wraps of same around a rotating drum or core, and thereupon expanding such drum or core into internal clutching engagement with'said initial wraps and withdrawing the guiding and confining devices, to permit operation of said drum or core as a traction reel on the remainder of the length of said piece.

29. In apparatus for reeling strip or like material, the combination with feeding means for the stock, of concentrically arranged internal and external devices cooperating to form wraps or turns of the advancing first end of the stock, means for expanding said internal device into clutching engagement with said initial wraps or turns, and means for thereupon rendering said external device inoperative on the remainder of the length of said piece.

30. In apparatus for reeling strip or like material, the combination with feeding means for the stock, of a pair of devices arranged for contact, respectively, with the oppositesurfaces of the advancing first end of the stock to form said end into a few wraps or turns surrounding one of said devices, and means for expanding the sosurrounded device into clutching engagement with said initial wraps or turns.

31. In apparatus for reeling strip or the like material, "the combination with feeding means for the stock, of a pair of devices arranged for contact, respectively, with the opposite surfaces of the advancing first end of the stock to'form said end into a few wraps or turns surrounding one of said devices, means for expanding the so-- with said initial'wraps or turns and for there'- upon removing the other device'to a position out of contact with the stock.

32. In apparatus for reeling strip or like material, the combination with feeding means for the stock, of a rotating core, means cooperating with said rotating core at the commencement of ms MORGAN. 

